Apple Launches App Store for iMessage in iOS 10

iOS 10 is really bringing it.

Back in June, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi announced a totally revamped version of iMessage available with iOS 10. The update includes giant emoji (like the ones currently on Facebook Messenger), bubble effects that can add "personality" to your texts, the ability to send handwritten messages, and full-screen animations such as confetti, balloons, and fireworks. However, the WWDC keynote hinted at sticker packs and specialized apps that would hypothetically work within iMessage, but there was very little information available about those during the summer. We've got some good news for you: some of those add-ons are available today, if you update your device to the new iOS 10.

To access iMessage apps in iOS 10, you can tap the App Store icon alongside the "compose" field to see the iMessage app you most recently used. To continue browsing the iMessage apps, tap the icon in the lower lefthand corner, and you should be able to see a selection of apps. By then tapping the plus sign, you can access the iMessage App Store, where you can browse and download additional apps. These include sticker packs for $1.99 according to The Verge, as well as apps such as Dunkin' Donuts.

Once you purchase a sticker pack, you can use them like a sticker in Snapchat. To add one to your conversation, tap the sticker to send it or touch and hold the sticker to place it on top of bubbles, other stickers, or photos. Some of the sticker packs, such as Iris Apfel and Kimoji, were previously available as custom keyboard apps, but now, the keyboards are Apple-official, and third-party developers can create custom iMessage content directly within the app, instead of developing totally separate apps for custom keyboards.

Here's the list of sticker packs you'll be able to use (note that only some of them will be available today):

Disney

Endless Monsters

Family Guy

George R. R. Martin (AKA Game of Thrones)

Iris Apfel

Kimoji

Marvel

Powerpuff Girls

P.S. I Love Dogs (over 200 breed-specific dog stickers)

theSkimm

Starbucks

Stickapax (stickers created by independent visual artists)

Meanwhile, apps such as Dunkin' Donuts, OpenTable, and Fandango will now function within iMessage, so you can order coffee, make a dinner reservation, and buy movie tickets without leaving a conversation. With Citymapper, for example, you can now send your location to a friend via text. And with Square Cash, you can easily send payments.